Arrangement for separating a typewriter from a control device



Jan. 7, 1969 Q GOTTSCHALK ET AL 3,420,351

' ARRANGEMENT FOR SEPARATING A TYPEWRITER FROM A CONTROL DEVICE Filed Aug. 24, 1967 INVENTORS United States Patent O 3,420,351 ARRANGEMENT FOR SEPARATING A TYPE- WRITER FROM A CONTROL DEVICE Gunther Gottschalk and Dieter H. N. Krause, Frankfurt am Main-Rodelheim, Germany, assignors to Eichner Organisation GmbH, Neuenhain uber Bad Soden,

Taunus, Germany Filed Aug. 24, 1967, Ser. No. 662,982 Claims priority, application Germany, Aug. 25, 1966,

E 32,360/66 U.s. Cl. 197-19 Inf. Cl. B411' 5/30 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention Business machines are known in which the key levers of a typewriter device are connected with a control device which is detachably attached to the typewriter. The control 'device is operated by the keys of the typewriter for operating an accounting machine, a billing machine, or a tape punch, but it is also possible to use the control device for operating the typewriter from a remote control station.

It is desirable to detach under certain circumstances the typewriter from the control device, and in machines according to the prior art, each key lever has to be individually detached from the respective control element with which it is connected, and again attached to the same when the typewriter is to be used in combination with the control device. The detaching and attaching of individual control elements to the key levers is a timeconsuming operation, and it is the main object of the invention to reduce the time required for separating and again combining a typewriter with a control device.

Summary of the invention An embodiment of the invention comprises a typewriter device having a plurality of key levers, a control device including a plurality of control elements detachably connected with the key levers, respectively, and connecting means detachably connecting the two devices.

This arrangement permits the operation of the control device, for example a tape punch, by the key levers of the typewriter, while on the other hand the key levers can be operated by the control device in accor-dance with a program, or by command signals from a remote station.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, separating means are provided which are movable between a lirst position for placing the control ele ments in positions connected with the key levers, and a second position for placing the control elements in positions disconnected from the key levers. When the separating means are operated, the control elements are simultaneously attached to, or detached from the key levers which requires very little time and can be done by an unskilled worker. When the control elements are detached from the key levers, the typewriter device can be detached from the control device by opening of the connecting means which connect the frames of the two devices.

The typewriter may be exchanged, serviced, or used without the control device when detached from the same.

When the typewriter is again to be attached to the control device, it is placed in the proper position and the frames are attached to each other. Thereupon, all control elements are simultaneously attached to the respective key levers.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, each key lever has a forked portion forming a recess extending transversely to the direction of movement of the key levers and receiving a hook or eye of a control rod which is pivotally mounted on a connecting lever. The separating means includes a member pivotally mounted on the frame of the control device, and lhaving a plurality of openings through which the control rods pass so that by pivotal movement of the separating member, the hooks of the control rods are simultaneously moved out of the recesses of the key levers.

When the movement of the separating member is reversed, all hooks of the control rods are simultaneously placed in the recesses.

The novel yfeatures which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

Brief description of the drawing PIG. l is a fragmentary sectional View illustrating an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of a detail taken on line II-II in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 2a is a fragmentary view of a modied detail.

Description of the preferred embodiment A typewriter 12 has a supporting frame and casing 12a which is secured by the detachable connecting means 30 to the supporting frame and casing 13a of a control device. Connecting means 30 can be opened when detachment of typewriter 12 from control device 13 is desired for servicing, repair, or other reasons.

Typewriter 12 has a plurality of key levers 1 mounted on a shaft 12 on frame 12a and serving as actuating means for the type bars, each key lever having a key 1a, and a portion 25 located between two stop cushions 3 and 6 so that the key lever is turnable a limited angle. A spring 4 is attached to a hook 26 of portion 25 and to a stationary hook 2-4 and biases the respective key lever to abut stop 3. Each key lever 1 is connected in the conventional manner with a type action, not shown, and when the key lever is operated, it is moved against the action of spring 4 into abutment with stop 6.

Portion 25 of key lever 1 has an attaching portion in the form of a forked portion 5 which forms a recess 5a extending in a direction transverse to the direction of the movement of portions 25, 5 when the key lever is operated. Each key lever is associated with one control element or control rod 14 having at the upper end a connecting portion 14a in the form of a hook or eye located in recess 5a and slidingly engaging and embracing the lower prong 5b of the fork-shaped portion. The lower end of control rod 14, which is mounted on a journal 18 on an ar-rn 22 of a lever 17, is biased by a torsion spring 17 so that each control element 14 is urged into the respective recess 5a. Lever 17 is mounted on a shaft 16 carried by frame casing 13a. The other arm 23 of angular connecting lever 17 is articulated to a wire link 19 which is connected to other parts of the control device for actuating the same when a key lever 1 is depressed. The motion of the key lever is transmitted by the respective control rod 14 to angular connecting lever 17 and by the same to wire 19 so that in addition to typing a character, the machine also actuates the control device, for example to punch into a tape holes representing the respective character. However, wire links 19 may also be connected to the armatures of electromagnets so that the key levers 1 can be operated by electric impulses with levers 17 serving as actuating means.

When typewriter 12 is to be disconnected from the control device 13, it is not only necessary to open the connecting means 30, but all control rods 14 must be detached from the respective key levers.

A lever means 11 has brackets 21 mounted for angular movement on a shaft 20 carried by frame 13a. The other end of lever means 11 is bent over to form a transverse projecting plate portion 8 to which a guide plate 7 is secured by screws 10, as also shown in FIG. 2.

Guide plate 10 has a row of holes 9 through which control rods 14 pass, and since the lower ends of control rods 14 move along a circle having its center in the axis of shaft 16, control rods 14 perform a small transverse motion so that holes 9 must be larger than the cross section of control rods 14, or be formed as slots.

Lever means 11 is manually turnable in counterclockwise dirertion as viewed in FIG. l to a substantially horizontal position in which control rods 14 are located within the frame casing 13a of the control device 13. Arresting means, not shown, are preferably provided for arresting lever means 11 in the operative position illustated in FIG. 1, and in the lower inoperative position.

When lever means 11 is turned in counterclockwise direction out of the illustrated position, all control rods 14 are simultaneously turned about journals 1S while the connecting portions 14a slide along the upper edge of the lower prong b until they are located outside of recess 5a.

By this operation, all control rods 14 are simultaneously separated from all key levers 1, and when connecting means 30 is open, the typewriter 12 can be separated from the control device 13, and handled independently of the same.

When it is again desired to connect the two devices, the typewriter is attached to the control device in a predetermined relative position by connecting means 30, and lever means 11 is turned in clockwise direction together with control rods 14 until the connecting portions 14a, which may be hooks or eyes, are simultaneously placed in recesses 5a, embracing the lower prong 5b so that typewriter 12 is again operatively connected with control device 13.

Due to the provision of separating lever means 11 in accordance with the present invention, all control rods 14 can be simultaneously detached from, and attached to, the respective associated key levers, and during the attach ing operation, the conecting portion 14a of each control rod 14 is precisely placed on the attaching portion 5 of the respective associated key lever so that no error is possible.

In a modified embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG. 2a, guide plate 7 forms a comb with open slots 9 in which control elements 14 are located. The slots are closed by the free edge 8a of the transverse portion 8 when guide plate 9 is attached by screws 10. This construction facilitates the assembly of parts 8, 7 and 14.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of combined business machines differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a -device for simultaneously attaching and detaching control elements of the control device to the key levers of a typewriter, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

1. A business machine, comprising, in combination, a typewriter device including rst support means and a first set of first type actuating means movably mounted on the same; a control device including second support means and a second set of second actuating means movable mounted on the same; connecting means detachably connecting said first and second support means in a connected position in which said first and second actuating means are in a predetermined relative position; a set of connecting elements having a normal position detachably connecting said first and second sets of first and second actuating means respectively, in said predetermined position so that operation of any selected actuating means of one of said sets causes movement of the respective actuating means of the other set connected therewith; and separating means mounted on said support means of one of said devices for movement between a first position movably guiding said connecting elements in said normal position, and a second position for detaching said connecting elements from said actuating means of the respective other device without detaching said connecting means and without requiring relative movement between said first and second support means whereby said first and second sets of actuating means are separated so that upon subsequent opening of said connecting means, said typewriter device and said control device are completely separated from each other for independent operations.

2. A business machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said separating means is mounted for angular movement on said support means of said one device and includes a guide portion formed with a row of openings respectively receiving and guiding in said first position said connecting elements for movement in said normal position, and acting while moving from said first position to said second position to detach said connecting elements.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said guide portion is a comb having open slots closed at the open end by a portion of said lever means so as to form said openings in which said control elements are guided.

4. A business machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first actuating means are key levers; wherein said connecting elements are, respectively, detachably connected with said key levers; vwherein said separating means in said first position place said control elements in operative positions connected with said key levers, and in said second position place said control elements in inoperative positions disconnected from said key levers; and wherein said separating means are mounted on said second support means of said control device lfor pivotal movement between said first and second positions.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein each of said support means includes a casing; wherein said connecting means detachably connect said casings; wherein said separating means includes a lever means mounted for pivotal movement between said first and second positions on said casing of said control device, and having a part formed with openings respectively receiving and guiding said control elements; wherein said control elements are mounted for angular movement on said second actuating means, and have free ends with connecting portions; and wherein said key levers include attaching portions extending transverse to the direction of movement of said control elements and of said key levers, and slidingly guiding said connecting portions of said con-v trol elements in said operative position so that by movement of said lever means to said second position, said connecting portions are moved along said attaching portions out of engagement with the same and to said inoperative positions.

6. A business machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein said rst support means includes a frame casing; wherein said second support means includes a frame casing; wherein said connecting means detachably connect said frame casings; wherein said second actuating means are levers mounted for turning movement on said frame casing of said control device; wherein said control elements are levers; and wherein said separating means is mounted for angular movement on said frame casing of said control device and has a guide portion engaging and guiding said control rods.

7. A business machine as claimed in claim 6 wherein said guide portion has a row of openings through which said control rods pass.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein said control elements are control rods mounted on said control device; and wherein said separating means includes a guide portion engaging all said control rods and guiding the same in longitudinal direction during operation of said key levers, said separating means with said guide portion being movable in a direction transverse to said control rods for moving the same between said operative and inoperative positions.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 8 wherein each of said key levers has an attaching portion extending transverse to the direction of movement of said key lever and to the longitudinal direction of the respective control rod; and wherein each control rod has a connecting portion slidably engaging said attaching portion of the respective associated key lever.

10. A machine as claimed in claim 9 wherein said attaching portion is fork-shaped and forms a transverse recess; and wherein said connecting portion is an eye slidably engaging one prong of said fork-shaped attaching portion.

11. A machine as claimed in claim 9 wherein said control device includes a plurality of turnable levers having arms with journals; and wherein said connecting rods are mounted for angular movement on said journals, respectively.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 765,799 7/ 1904 Spiegel 197-19 1,430,284 9/ 1922 Burdick 197-19 XR 1,678,492 7/ 1928 Lambert 197-19 1,753,991 4/1930 Langford 197-19 2,726,130 12/1955 Meadows et al. 197-19 XR 3,249,199 5/1966 Jones 197-19 ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

EDGAR S. BURR, Assistant Examiner. 

